Surveillance cost grants

Surveillance cost grants are paid to specialist disability service providers to assist them with costs incurred during surveillance audits in the two years following certification. Surveillance cost grants are calculated in a similar way to certification cost grants and are based on:

• number of service-type outlets
• number of regions
• number of remote and very remote sites to be audited.

This calculation estimates the number of audit days and audit costs that each specialist disability service provider is likely to incur during the surveillance audit process. The estimated audit cost amount is called a benchmarked surveillance audit cost. The surveillance cost grant is 100% of the estimated benchmarked surveillance audit cost.

The actual cost of a surveillance visit is negotiated between the specialist disability service provider and the certification body, and may be higher or lower than the estimated benchmarked surveillance audit cost paid by Department of Communities (Disability and Community Care Services).

Using the surveillance cost grant

Surveillance cost grants are intended to be used for the following activities related to the surveillance visit:

• actual audit costs (e.g. include audit planning, documentation review, site visits, report writing and follow up)
• travel and accommodation for audit team members where travel is required.

For more information on surveillance cost grants, specialist disability service providers should refer to Resource Kit 1 or contact the community resource officer at their local Disability Services office.